New kids on the block
The Jonas Brothers on tours, punches and close calls
Don’t tell us the wholesome Jonas Brothers don’t earn their paychecks. Their fans can be a little too hands (and fists) on.
“A fan came up to Joe and said, ‘I love you guys. You guys are awesome,’” says Nick Jonas. “She said, ‘Joe, can I punch you in the arm?’ And he was like, ‘No.’ We took the picture and then she punched him in the arm, and that was all she wanted — just to punch him in the arm.” He laughs, “We’re still talking about it today.”
This kind of mania is nothing new to the North Jersey-raised, Disney approved brothers who have released their third album, “A Little Bit Longer,” on Aug. 12 to frenzied masses. That week the pop-rock group appeared on MTV’s “TRL,” drew more than 15,000 people to a “Good Morning, America” concert and played three sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden. They are, without a doubt, the male tween-pop phenomenon of the moment.
Now the brothers are hitting the road to tour behind the new album (which, by the way, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts). Expect to get close to them, but hopefully — for the brothers’ sake — not within striking distance.
“What we do as a band is we always want to try and get as close as we can, so that’s why we built a 45-foot runway that goes right out into the audience,” Kevin says. “There is no barricade around the runway so that fans are just right up there — right up close to the thing. So there’s nothing holding you back from, like, reaching out and, you know, being right there on the stage. It’s really amazing.”